Adam Bray reflects on his peace walk

Day 3: Tanks to Tractors

'They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
Nor will they train for war anymore.'

Isaiah 2:4

This verse out of Isaiah describes a wonderful future of peace when instruments of war will be converted to instruments of farming. I used to work for the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church in D.C. As I entered the United Methodist building for work each day, I was greeted by this verse written high on the wall in marble. I read the verse so many times, but had never concentrated on it's meaning until recently. Of course, the weapons of war today are no longer swords, and farm equipment has progressed into tools much more effective and complicated than a plowshare, but is Isaiah's vision still valid?

I believe it is. It might not be possible to actually turn missles or fighter jets into farm equipment, but what would happen if we used the money we spend on weapons and military to promote more effective farming programs and humanitarian aid at home and abroad? Instead of having a war on terror, why not have a war against the root causes of terrorism? Do the people in the world who hate our country, hate us because they despise our freedom and democracy as Bush suggests, or do they despise us for dominating the economies of other countries? A Defense Science Board report from 1997 states that, 'Historical data show a strong correlation between U.S. involvement international situations and an increase in terrorist attacks against the United States.' Increasing our military budget and trying to control whole sections of the world will not have any positive effect in stopping terrorism. If we want real peace, we need to treat the horrible injustices and inequalities of the world, eradicate hunger and poverty, not drop bombs!

One of the countries Bush referred to as belonging to the 'axis of evil' is North Korea. While in S. Korea, President Bush said that N. Korea is evil because the Korean government is building weapons while their people starve. While I'd agree with President Bush that this sort of action is indeed a form of evil, I'd urge Bush to look at his own country as well. Sadly, his remarks apply equally to the U.S. as indicated by the following facts and the president initiating an increase to our military budget to $355.1 Billion for FY 2003.

Hunger:

Thirty-one million people in the U.S. - including 12 million children -- live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. This represents one in ten households in the United States (10.1 percent) (USDA - United States Department of Agriculture)

Three percent of U.S. households experience hunger: they frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. Nearly eight million people, including 2.7 million children, live in these homes. (USDA)

Seven percent of U.S. households are at risk of hunger: they have lower quality diets or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot always afford the food they need. Twenty-three million people, including 9.4 million children, live in these homes. (USDA)

People facing hunger increasingly do not receive assistance from the Food Stamp Program. The program has experienced steep drops in participation, beyond what the strong economy would warrant. The number of people who received food stamps in 2001 decreased by over 10 million since 1994, a drop of over one-third in program participation. (USDA)

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that only 40 percent of the drop is due to a stronger economy, other sources report that about 50 percent of the decline is due to problems implementing the 1996 welfare law, and as much as 8 percent is due to limits on eligibility established in the welfare law. (Bread for the World)

Weapons:

At $355.1 billion, the U.S. military budget for FY’03 is more than 25 times as large as the combined spending of the seven countries traditionally identified by the Pentagon as our most likely adversaries (Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria).

The U.S. budget is more than the combined spending of the next 25 nations.

The United States and its close allies spend more than the rest of the world combined, accounting for more than two-thirds of all military spending. Together they spend over 39 times more than seven rogue states.

More than 100 countries have military budgets of less than $1 billion which is about how much the Pentagon spends in one day.

Over 50 countries have military budgets of less than $100 million. The Pentagon now spends that much almost every two hours.

Last updated: December 13, 2002